flankeren

Flankeren is the Dutch term for the act of attacking or maneuvering to the side of an opponent’s formation, or to its rear, rather than engaging head-on. The tactic aims to exploit gaps, weak points, or insufficient coverage on the enemy’s flanks and can disrupt cohesion, command, and sustainment.

The word derives from flank, the side or edge of a force, and flankering denotes operating on that side.

In military practice, flankering involves speed, reconnaissance, and coordinated movement to reach and hold the enemy’s flank while protecting one’s own exposed side. When successful, it can lead to envelopment, a breakthrough in the line, or the severing of supply and communication routes. However, a misdirected or poorly protected flank can expose the attacker to counter-flank attacks or encirclement.

Flankering is a general concept in modern warfare and is also discussed in strategy games and simulations, where it describes maneuvers that threaten opponents from the side and force them to redeploy resources. Historical use ranges from ancient and medieval warfare to Napoleonic campaigns and modern combined-arms operations, where mobile forces, scouts, and support assets are employed to exploit a flank while maintaining security against counterattacks from the opposite side.

See also: envelopment, encirclement, enfilade, feint.